How Beauty Concerns Change As We Age

Posted by Admin on January 31, 2011

How people interpret beauty in themselves may differ from what they find attractive in another person - just one finding from a consumer survey conducted on the BeautyforLife website. Visitors were asked, "What aspect of physical beauty do you find appealing in another person?" Respondents in their 20s, 30s, and 40s preferred a fit, well proportioned body; and youthful skin ranked at the top for respondents in their 50s and 60s. When asked, "Which part of your body are you most concerned about?" respondents in their 30s ranked abdomen/hips as their number one. Surprisingly, respondents in their 20s, 40s, 50s, and 60s chose the face as the feature of concern.

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery president, Renato Saltz M.D., states, “It is always important to understand what our patients are most concerned about at different stages of their lives. We want to be equipped to help our patients make the right decisions to maintain their beauty at every age-no matter which type of cosmetic medical procedure they are interested in.”

Additional results were revealed when respondents answered, “Which part of your body are you most concerned about?” Though the face was the primary concern, significantly more respondents were concerned about their abdomen/hips than their breasts – with the disparity steadily increasing with age.

Respondents in 30s age range – 37% chose abdomen hips as top concern while only 18% chose breasts

Respondents in 40s age range – 32% showed concern about abdomen/hips while only 10% chose breasts

Respondents in 50s age range – 25% were concerned with abdomen hips and only 7% chose breasts

Respondents in 60s age range – 23% indicated concern about abdomen/hips while only 7% chose breasts

Community members were also asked to decide “The most important reason to maintain your physical appearance.” The top choice among all age ranges was “To boost self-confidence” followed closely by “To attract potential partners” for those in their 20s. For those in their 30s and 40s, the second most popular choice was “To increase professional opportunities,” which remained second choice for those in their 50s but by a much smaller margin. Those in their 60s chose “To help make friends” as their second reason for maintaining their physical appearance.

Past president of the ASPS, Dr. Richard D’Amico, adds, “The survey on the BeautyforLife website has provided interesting data about patients’ attitudes, motivation and perception. Our goal is to provide useful tools for prospective patients to help them first decide if a cosmetic medicine procedure is right for them and then to provide information on how to choose an appropriate provider.”